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Guide to the petitions scheme

How we deal with petitions

We welcome petitions and we recognise that they are just one of many ways in which you can let us know about your concerns and participate in the democratic process. The guidance below summarises our petitions scheme and it applies to all petitions submitted that fall within the scheme.

Petitions are not the only way to resolve an issue or to make your views known. You could also:

contact the relevant service or officer directly

contact your local ward councillor

contact the relevant Executive Member

ask a scrutiny committee to look into the matter

make a complaint to us

If you submit a petition, it should:

include a clear and short statement about what the petition is about

state clearly that the petition is directed at Manchester City Council

clearly identify the petition organiser

relate to a function that is within the Council’s powers or duties

say clearly what you want us to do

People signing your petition can be any age and should provide an address which shows that they live work or study in Manchester.

Petition organiser

The petition organiser is the person we will contact about the petition. We will not be able to deal with your petition if we are not able to identify a petition organiser. They will need to provide their full contact details including an address for correspondence.

Sending in your petition

Petitions can also be submitted to the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit at Room 405, The Town Hall, Albert Square, Manchester, M60 2LA or via email at petitions@manchester.gov.uk.

Petitions can be submitted directly to the relevant service area, local councillor or via an officer.

What happens next?

Will will send an acknowledgment to the petition organiser within ten working days of receipt. The acknowledgement will include details about how the petition will be dealt with under the scheme and where possible, we will provide information about any action we plan to take in response to your petition.

How will we respond to your petition

Our response will depend on what your petition asks for and how many people have signed it.

Petitions thresholds

Category

Brief description

Signature threshold

Petitions requiring debate

Any petition above the threshold that will trigger a debate at a full Council meeting

4000

Petition

Any petition above the threshold which will trigger a debate at a scrutiny committee

1000

Ordinary petition

Any other, non excluded, petition, requesting action or response within six weeks

100

Petitions falling below the threshold for requiring a response within six weeks will be passed to the relevant service area for a response.

Some petitions are excluded from the scheme and will be dealt with differently. For example, we will not take steps in response to your petition if it is vexatious, abusive, cause offence or considered inappropriate. Other exemptions from the scheme include:

petitions relating to planning or licensing applications

where there is a statutory right to appeal

if it does not relate to a function carried out by the Council

For the full list of exceptions, please refer to section 3.2 of the petitions scheme.